The Ministry of Agriculture has begun signing farmers on to a 16-crop programme projected to generate some $84.4m in wholesale value, as Barbados moves to cut its $80m to $100 million food import bill, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Contracts are now being finalised with participating growers under the initiative, Chief Agricultural Officer Paul Lucas told Barbados TODAY.

The programme is a coordinated effort between the ministry’s technical teams, its specialised planning unit, and the state-owned farming enterprise, the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC), aimed at delivering long-term economic gains for agriculture.